Police Arrest Two Men During Alleged Burglary

Police activity had residents in Lyon Village on alert this morning. As it turns out, two men were nabbed on suspicion of burglary — while the alleged act was taking place.

Just before 9:00 a.m., police responded to a house near the intersection of Key Boulevard and N. Highland Street for a report of a burglary in progress. Officers and a K-9 unit surrounded the house while the suspects were still inside. Police were able to safely enter the home and take both men into custody a short time later.

Police temporarily blocked off traffic in the area during the incident. One of the suspects was later taken to the hospital for some sort of a facial injury.

Both suspects will be charged with burglary, according to Arlington County police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Right now, it’s unclear if they may have been targeting a specific item inside the home.

Virginia Code § 18.2-90. Entering dwelling house, etc., with intent to commit murder, rape, robbery or arson; penalty.
If any person in the nighttime enters without breaking or in the DAYTIME breaks and enters or enters and conceals himself in a dwelling house or an adjoining, occupied outhouse or in the nighttime enters without breaking or AT ANY TIME breaks and enters or enters and conceals himself in any building permanently affixed to realty, or any ship, vessel or river craft or any railroad car, or any automobile, truck or trailer, if such automobile, truck or trailer is used as a dwelling or place of human habitation, with intent to commit murder, rape, robbery or arson in violation of §§ 18.2-77, 18.2-79 or § 18.2-80, HE SHALL BE DEEMED GUILTY OF STATUTORY BURGLARY, which offense shall be a Class 3 felony. However, if such person was armed with a deadly weapon at the time of such entry, he shall be guilty of a Class 2 felony.

§ 18.2-91 makes the same actions with the intent to commit larceny, any other felony or assault & battery statutory burglary.

R. Griffon

> One of the suspects was later taken to the hospital for some sort of a facial injury.

I’m hoping that K-9 unit got a piece of the guy during the course of the takedown. Sweet justice.

Good job ACPD!

Marie Antoinette

Amen

WeiQiang

So, justice would be having a dog maim a suspect’s face? I’m curious because my perspective on our judicial system can’t quite process that.

Glebe Roader

Not quite. After the maiming, there should also be jail time.

SomeGuy

Maiming and jail time for a mere allegation? That’s harsh.

Marie Antoinette

I’d also suggest public flogging. Though I am sure if it was your house they entered, you’d be singing a different tune. Give it a rest.

WeiQiang

It was not my home. My home has been burglarized. I don’t advocate extrajudicial punishment … even before a perp is convicted. Give what a rest? My opinion? My desire to abide by the law? Help me out here.

Danielle

If the Views at Clarendon were finished the neighbors would certainly be blaming that.

LP

Umm, they are finished.

Joe

To get the Views thing through without a fifth lawsuit, the County must have agreed to extra ACPD patrols in Lyon Village.

arlimprovements

They are—and I am.

LP

Unfortunately, our civilization.

Look at Zimmerman/Martin case, he wasn’t even breaking and entering and he got killed.

By no means am I saying what Zimmerman did is right or should be legal, but he’s out on bond after killing someone.

GoodOmens

What does this have to do to the article?

LP

It was in reference to someone’s previous post (that was deleted as I was typing mine). The poster commented that someone who is breaking and entering should be killed.

WeiQiang

ArlNow deleted a post like that? As of this writing, there are posts that express some hope that K9 unit attacked and injured the suspect[s].

Comments advocating killing or sexually assaulting someone crosses a line and will be removed.

Elmer

An FYI to posters, the link to the terms of use and what’s not acceptable are at the bottom of the ARL page.
Hope this helps.

Elmer

Oops! Bottom of the ARLNOW page.

Rob Geeeee

B&E is different than assault (alleged). However, ff you fear for your life, whether in your home, or elsewhere, defending yourself is a natural and basic necessity. If someone breaks into my home in the middle of the night (or day), I will not hesitate to employ a firearm to protect myself or my family. If you know someone who has been killed by burglars, you’d feel the same way.

BTW, Zimmerman’s bond is typical for someone who is being charged with 2nd degree murder.

GreaterClarendon

Sounds like they were after something specific, which should give the neighbors some relief. That would be a strange place and time for a random robbery – not too close to a metro or major highway, and with many people and neighbors walking the area, something must be worth the risk – either gold bars or incriminating photos!

John Fontain

“Sounds like they were after something specific”

What leads you to that conclusion?

“not too close to a metro or major highway”

The metro is two blocks away. It’s about as close to the metro as you can get. And Lee Highway is only a few blocks away with ramps for 66.

CW

I never understood the use of “alleged” in this manner. I understand when it is used to describe a person’s potential involvement in something when the preponderance of the evidence has not yet shown it to be true (such as, Mr. Jones allegedly stole the car). However, I don’t get the use to apply to the act in general. How is it an alleged burglary? There either was a burglary or there wasnt! If someone gets shot, is it an alleged shooting? You know someone got shot, it’s not an allegation!

This is not ARLnow’s thing, they’re using it properly in line with how it’s used. I just never got its use when used with respect to acts that clearly did take place.

Not a lawyer. Don’t play one on TV. End rant.

J

I think it makes more sense if you think about it from the perspective of someone facing a potential libel suit.

If it turns out that the people did have cause to be there (as remote as possibility as it sounds) then that’s libel. If the only people mentioned in the article are law enforcement and the alleged criminals, and it turns out to not be a burglary, the reporter gets sued for damages because its easy to infer the link between the burglary and the subject of the article.

For your example, if I type “alleged shooting” into google, the first page of results are ascribing the shooting to an individual alleged to have committed the crime. But it doesn’t turn up a significant (if any) number of search results describing the crime itself without reference to any suspects. Even if you get the facts wrong and there was in fact no shooting, there’s very minimal (if any) damage to the reputation of the alleged victim.

SomeGuy

I’m not a lawyer either, but here’s how I see it.

The suspects might claim they got drunk and walked into the wrong house… or that they thought it was their friend’s house. i.e. just an innocent mistake, which could probably still be charged as breaking and entering.

Police are *alleging*/charging a burglary in this case, which I think involves criminal intent (e.g. intent to steal), and thus needs to be proven.

CW

Ok, good stuff from both of you guys. I agree. The aforementioned case “alleged shooting”, which I swear i’ve heard before, is what strikes me as particularly egregious.

JimPB

What brought the police to the “scene”?

Capt Obvious

“What brought the police to the “scene”?”

Cop car ………

Marie Antoinette

lol

AllenB (not really)

The headline is discriminatory!!!! Why identify “men”. Are all men bad? I am wounded and must accuse!

(For the humor impaired, well, … please skip this post.)

G::TheNativeArlingtonian

Well, if these are the same guys that broke into a relatives house in the same basic area, then booya! Even if not, glad the police got them. And if one of them got a little banged up in the process… that is fine by me. If you are in a home illegally, you get what’s coming to you.